Sterilized disposal cap for dinner set

ABSTRACT

A sterilized disposable cap for a dinner set that can be firmly secured to an outer surface at the front end of a chopstick to avoid direct contact of the food includes a tube having an opening end and a closed end; a straight section in same diameter as that of the tube extends from the opening end towards the closed section; a tapered section is formed to the straight section upon approaching the closed end; one or a plurality of flute is axially disposed on and in parallel with a surface of the tube; the flute extends from the opening end of the tube until approaching the closed end.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

(a) Field of the Invention

The present invention is related to a sterilized disposal cap for dinnerset, and more particularly, to one that is inserted onto one end of achopstick that contacts food and is recyclable for reuse aftersterilization under high pressure and high temperature.

(b) Description of the Prior Art

Competition strength has been emphasized by R&D or service team incoping with advanced science, pursuing innovation by the manufacturingindustry, and self-upgrading by individual. As a result, people spentmore time at work than at rest. Under the concept of time is money, morepeople are eating out so to save fuss of doing home cooking whileducking away oil contamination problem inherited in the kitchen.However, eating out is convenient indeed, those disposal dinner sets maybe hazardous to human health. Taking the disposal chopsticks for anexample, ten million pairs of chopsticks are consumed in each yearsolely in the Taiwan area, meaning at the expenses of growing 2.9million trees for two decades. Its impacts upon the ecologicalenvironment should never be neglected. The manufacturing process of thedisposal chopsticks also presents threaten to human health. Usually,wood is cut into shape of a chopstick, then fumed using sulfur orbleached using hydrogen peroxide. However, the purpose of this processof smoking or bleaching is for the interior of the chopstick to developfibrosis not for sterilization.

Distribution of micro-holes can be easily seen on a section at where thechopstick is broken up to tell that it is impossible to filter awayresidual sulfur of hydrogen peroxide. Later the chopstick is dried bynatural light or put in an oven. The residual acid sulfur or hydrogenperoxide upon contacting hot meal will release sulfur dioxide, whichenters into human's digestion duct with the food. Medical reports haveconfirmed that the substance released by the disposal chopstick willcause serious discomfort, and lead to development of lymphadenoma inmore serious case. Therefore, the disposal chopstick has become a majorsecret worry to human health, and many countries in the world encouragetheir citizens to bring along portable chopsticks. However, it takes towash to clean the portable chopsticks after use otherwise germs maystick to the chopsticks to threat user's health the same as does by thedisposal chopsticks. An improvement has been made as taught in a patentapplication No. 094143986 titled “Chopsticks Separation Health Cap” byinserting the cap onto a tip of a disposable chopstick to prevent directcontact of the chopstick with food. However, the improvement does havesignificant flaws. When not used, the cap is in coiled and flattenedstatus; and when the use of the cap is needed, the user has to have oneend of the chopstick to hold against the cap and uncoil the cap towardsthe other end of the chopstick until the cap wraps around a frontsection of the chopstick. During the insertion process, fingers and/orhand would have to contact the cap to run the risk of carrying bacteriaon fingers/hand to the cap. Upon completing the meal, the user has topush and roll up the cap towards to one end of the chopstick forreturning the cap to its coiled status; accordingly, the fingers of theuser will be contaminated by residual oil stains on the surface of thecap. Furthermore, the cap is prevented from being reclaimed for otheruse or for reuse after sterilization at high temperature and highpressure.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The primary purpose of the present invention is to provide a sterilizeddisposal cap for dinner set to upgrade diet health and maintain one'shealth by have the cap inserted onto a front section of a disposalchopstick to prevent it from directly contacting the food.

Another purpose of the present invention is to provide a sterilizeddisposal cap for dinner set that avoids direct contact of one'sfingers/hand when the cap is inserted onto or removed from the disposalchopstick.

Another purpose yet of the present invention is to provide a sterilizeddisposal cap for dinner set that is allows to be reclaimed for otherpurpose or for reuse after sterilization at high pressure and hightemperatures.

To achieve these purposes, the present invention is comprised of a tubehaving one opening end and another closed end, a straight sectionextends from the opening end towards the closed end; a graduallyreducing section in diameter is formed to the straight section at whereit is approaching the closed end; one or a plurality of flutes isaxially disposed on a surface of the tube in parallel with the tube; andthe tube extends from the opening end of the tube to where it isapproaching the closed end of the tube so to constitute a sterilized capthat can be tightly inserted to an outer surface of the front section ofthe disposal chopstick.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic view showing a first preferred embodiment of thepresent invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic view showing a second preferred embodiment of thepresent invention.

FIG. 3 is a schematic view showing a third preferred embodiment of thepresent invention.

FIG. 4 is a schematic view showing a fourth preferred embodiment of thepresent invention.

FIG. 5 is a schematic view showing an operating status of the presentinvention.

FIG. 6 is a schematic view showing another operating status of thepresent invention.

FIG. 7 is a schematic view showing another operation status yet of thepresent invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring to FIG. 1 for a first preferred embodiment of the presentinvention, a sterilized cap 1 is comprised of a tube 10; a closed end 11is disposed on one end of the tube 10, and an opening end 12 is disposedon the other end of the tube 10; a straight section h in same diameterwith that of the tube 10 extends from the opening end 12 towards theclosed end 11 and a tapered section h′ is formed at where the straightsection h is approaching the closed end 11 to reach the closed end 11;six flutes 13 equally spaced are axially disposed on a surface of and inparallel with the tube 10; and each flute 13 extends from the openingend 12 of the tube 10 until approaches the closed end 11 of the tube 10.

Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3 for a second and a third preferredembodiments of the present invention, one set of the sterilized cap 1 ispacked in a container 2 as illustrated in FIG. 2; and two sterilizedcaps 1 are packed in a container 2 as illustrated in FIG. 3 to preventthe cap 1 from being contaminated by dust or bacteria when exposed tothe air.

As illustrated in FIG. 4 for another preferred embodiment yet of thepresent invention, an inner surface of the tube 10 of the sterilized cap1 is finished with an embossment 14.

Upon fetching a disposable chopstick 3 for use as illustrated in FIG. 5,tear off the container 2 at the opening end 12 of the sterilized cap 1to make a gap for exposing the opening end of the sterilized cap 1;insert the tip of the disposable chopstick 3 into the opening end 12 ofthe sterilized cap 1 until the tip of the disposable chopstick 3 holdsagainst the closed end 11 of the sterilized cap; then remove thedisposable chopstick 3 already inserted with the sterilized cap 1 out ofthe container 2 as illustrated in FIG. 6. After the meal, remove thesterilized cap and insert the gap on the container 2 onto the sterilizedcap for pulling out the disposable chopstick 3 as illustrated in FIG. 7.The present invention by preventing the user's fingers/hand fromdirectly contacting the sterilized cap 1 when fetching it for use avoidspossible contamination or carrying bacteria to the surface of thesterilized cap 1 on one hand and avoids direct contact of the disposablechopstick 3 with the food on the other hand, thus to promote diet healthand eliminate possible hazards to human health.

The sterilized cap 1 may be made of metallic material. According to theoperating status respectively illustrated in FIGS. 5, 6, and 7, a commondifference is provided between a minimum inner diameter of the openingend 12 of the sterilized cap 1 and the maximal outer diameter of thedisposable chopstick 3 and those multiple flutes 13 recessed in theperipheral of the tube 10 of the sterilized cap 1 create comparativelygreater friction coefficient to the surface of the disposable chopstick3 to be inserted on help firmly secure the sterilized cap 1 onto thedisposable chopstick 3. The sterilized cap 1 may be reclaimed for reuseafter having been sterilized at high pressure and high temperature.

The sterilized cap 1 may be made of food grade plastic material, e.g.,Polyethylene Terephthalate, High Density Polyethylene, Polyethylene,Polyvinyl Chloride, Low Density Polyethylene, Polypropylene, orPolystyrene. Whereas the plastic material is inherited with properresilience and the minimum inner diameter of the opening end of thesterilized cap 1 may be made slightly smaller than the maximal outerdiameter of the disposable chopstick 3, those flutes 13 recessed in theperipheral of the tube 10 of the sterilized cap 1 forces the tube 10 ofthe sterilized cap 1 to expand following the insertion of the disposablechopstick 3 for the inner surface of each flute 13 to createcomparatively greater friction coefficient against the disposablechopstick 3 during the use of the sterilized cap as illustrated in FIGS.5, 6, and 7; meanwhile, a resilience is reserved to prevent breakage ofthe sterilized cap 1 when it is forced to expand. The embossment 14disposed on the inner surface of the tube 10 of the sterilized cap 1 asillustrated in FIG. 3 helps upgrade the friction coefficient byincreasing contact area between the inner surface of the sterilized cap1 and the disposable chopstick 3 thus to firmly secure the sterilizedcap 1 onto the disposable chopstick 3 and to allow the sterilizeddisposable cap 1 to be reclaimed for other uses.

The prevent invention provides an improved structure of a sterilizeddisposable cap for a dinner set, and the application for a utilitypatent is duly filed accordingly. However, it is to be noted that thepreferred embodiments disclosed in the specification and theaccompanying drawings are not limiting the present invention; and thatany construction, installation, or characteristics that is same orsimilar to that of the present invention should fall within the scope ofthe purposes and claims of the present invention.

1. A sterilized disposable cap for a dinner set comprising a tube; thetube having an opening end and a closed end; a straight section in samediameter as that of the cap extending from the opening end heading forthe closed end; a tapered section being formed to the straight sectionupon approaching the closed end; one or a plurality of flute beingaxially disposed on and in parallel with a surface of the tube; and theflute extending from the opening end until approaching the closed end toconstitute a sterilized cap that is tightly inserted onto a disposabledinner set.
 2. The sterilized disposable cap for a dinner set as claimedin claim 1, wherein the disposable dinner set is related to a disposablechopstick or a chopstick or other dinner set made of any other type ofmaterial.
 3. The sterilized disposable cap for a dinner set as claimedin claim 1, wherein the sterilized disposable cap is made of a metallicmaterial.
 4. The sterilized disposable cap for a dinner set as claimedin claim 1, wherein the sterilized disposable cap is made of thermallyresisting, food grade plastic material.
 5. The sterilized disposable capfor a dinner set as claimed in claim 4, wherein the thermally resisting,food grade plastic material is related to Polyethylene Terephthalate,High Density Polyethylene, Polyethylene, Polyvinyl Chloride, Low DensityPolyethylene, Polypropylene, or Polystyrene.
 6. The sterilizeddisposable cap for a dinner set as claimed in claim 1, wherein an innersurface of the sterilized disposable cap is embossed.
 7. The sterilizeddisposable cap for a dinner set as claimed in claim 1, wherein in thesterilized disposable cap is sealed in a container.